Various walking staff and like devices are known in the art. These include, among others, the devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,679,267 for a combined Walking Stick and Tripod; U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,372 for an Articulated Walking Cane; U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,786 for a Pistol Rest; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,766 for a Geary Convertible Crutch System.
While these devices make a contribution to the art of walking staffs and tripods, they are disadvantageous for several reasons including, but are not limited to, being too bulky, too heavy, too complicated or not sufficiently stable. For example, the tripod configuration of the '786 patent is small relative to the height of its staff, providing limited stability. Furthermore, the tripod configuration of the '786 patent utilizes lateral supports (for the tripod legs) which adds undesirably to the weight and bulk of the device. Additional weight and bulk are disadvantageous in a walking staff, particularly near the bottom end which a user must precisely place between stones, roots and other obstacles (using primarily the strength of their hand and forearm). In addition, the lateral supports (and related components) increase the complexity of the tripod mechanism and thus, the incidence of mechanical failure, e.g., lateral supports and related components are vulnerable to being bent, broken or otherwise failing, rendering the staff unusable. Furthermore, given the multiple parts and their interrelation, field repair is difficult if not impossible.
Prior art staffs and like devices also fail to provide an adaptable mechanism for the rapid, secure and releasable mounting of a camera, spotting scope, gun rest, or other item.